Fight for the Cul-de-sac
by duo7700
Summary: Days before the kids of the cul-de-sac were to begin high school, their country was plunged into a state of war.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: What follows is the result of binging on EEnE fanfiction and watching Red Dawn. I am so, so sorry. Just kidding. Enjoy!

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><p>It's been nearly ten years, just a few days before we were going to start high school. The war had been raging for a while by then. But it had always been on foreign soil. When they took the coastline, all of our parents were drafted. Most of our fathers were given guns, while mine was given a toolbox and Edd's was given a scalpel. Our mothers were sent to factories or hospitals, for the most part. Eddy's mom was given a rifle alongside his dad, most likely because she was a cop. We've been alone for the past decade.<p>

And we've lived.

We've lived through those quiet years long since passed. Edd taught us then. He should've been in college. Hell, he should've had a doctorate when he was fifteen. Instead, he taught us everything from literature to calculus. I did gym, of course, back before we lost the school. I was harsher than an actual gym teacher would've been. I'm glad I was. It toughened everyone up.

When the war came to Peach Creek, we once again saw adults. By then, most of us were adults ourselves. They were members of some anti-government militia. They brought us the news that all of the official communications of the military had gone silent months ago. There were rumors of the capital being secure, but I didn't believe them. All I saw in the direction of the capital was scorched earth and tanks.

They took Rolf's animals to their own fortifications and helped us make our own. We dug trenches around the cul-de-sac. We made tank traps and some explosives. The militia eventually returned to their stronghold. Suddenly, we were on the frontlines. We waited in the trenches. We made excursions to the junkyard. We fortified our position with scrap metal. We survived the first wave. Our homes were razed.

Rolf started digging again. He said his relatives survived World War II by living in underground tunnels, and he sought to do the same. We all chipped in when we could, between watches and sleep. Eventually, we had a web of tunnels and rooms. Some of them lead to the few homes that had basements. They received new ceilings of soil. We reinforced everything with stuff from the junkyard and construction site. Edd did some electrical work. He set up a wind turbine in the junkyard, a water turbine in the creek, and connected some solar cells we had scavenged before the frontline became home. Soon enough, the tunnels became home. We each shared a room with someone else. I shared with Edd.

Ours was not a basement. It was near the battery room, far underground. The walls, floor, and ceiling were hammered out sheets of metal taken from cars. Most of it was from the rusted shell of an old Ford. Its surface was scrubbed of most of the rust and paint. There were still specks of faded red and reddish brown in the dusty surface of the hammered iron. It helped the room seem brighter, the light from our single bulb reflected off of every surface, save the old mattress of Edd's. It was our mattress now.

The rain had been falling for nearly a week. We struggled to keep the tunnels dry. When we made them, it wasn't something any of us thought about. We had been suffering from a drought for years. This year, the hardened earth refused to absorb all but the tiniest bit of moisture. Tomorrow, we'd be making a trip to the scrapyard and the surrounding area. Edd had drawn up plans for a drainage system. We'd need two major items: several yards of PVC pipe and a plumber snake. The rest he said he can make out of almost anything. We'd use any extra pipe to waterproof the wiring in the tunnels.

I woke up well before dawn. Edd was curled up against the wall, shivering slightly. I got carefully out of bed and draped my own blanket over him. He drew it closer and soon stopped shivering, the faintest trace of a smile gracing his face. I smiled too. It'd been months since any of us smiled. I pulled on my jacket and made my way to the trench.

Sarah was sitting just outside the entrance, sipping some tea from a chipped cup. She gives me the most fleeting of looks, "Morning," she said before taking a large gulp of her drink.

"Morning. Anymore of that," I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Jimmy has it," she replied, once again raising the steaming beverage to her lips.

I nod and head toward Jimmy's usual spot. I pass Rolf, who gives me a wave without looking away from his rifle's scope. A few steps later, a crack signals another notch for his rifle's stock. Soon after, I pass the Kankers. They're up early as well. They're coming with Double-D and me to keep him safe. Ed will be perched somewhere out of sight. He's probably already there, settled in a perfect sniper's perch. He learned quite a bit from those comics of his, I guess.

Jimmy's nestled in a corner of the trench. He's useless with a gun. He spent most of his time with binoculars, a spotter for the snipers; Marie, usually. Today, it'd probably be Nazz. That girl's amazing with a gun.

"Hello, Kevin! You're up early," he said. I was always astounded that he always managed to sound happy. I think he tries to keep a sense of normalcy. He acts almost exactly as he did a decade ago. He'd gotten taller, his voice deeper. We were all pretty surprised that he was fucking Sarah. They were both pretty happy about that. Ed was in a bad mood for a few days, until Nazz explained that his little sister wasn't so little anymore.

"'sup. You got more of that tea?" He pulled a thermos from inside his coat. I pulled a tin cup from my own and he poured the deep brown liquid into my cup. The cup instantly heated up and I realized how cold it was. My fingertips were numb. "Holy shit, this is just what I need."

He chuckled mirthlessly, "We're getting low on coffee. If you see any when you're out, grab it."

"Your tea is better than a double shot, Jimmy," I told him.

He looked at me, "Flattery? I thought you knew I didn't swing that way, Kevin." He grinned wickedly.

I punched his shoulder, "Who'd want your ugly mug?" His smile grew wider and wider and soon, both of us were laughing. Smiles appeared on every face in the trench. Happiness warmed us up better than tea. All too soon, the quiet came back. I grabbed another cup from my jacket and held it out for Jimmy to fill, "Another for Double-D? Thanks."

I walked back to the tunnels. Marie had taken Rolf's rifle. She licked her lips, her chest swelled as she inhaled and two shots later she exhaled, "Dumbasses," she said. As I passed her I patted her on the back.

"Two? Nice."

She glanced at me, "Wait for it." What little sound there was stopped. Three seconds later, an explosion ripped through the chilly air. "Five. The idiots hid by that old tanker."

"Sweet. Hopefully that'll mean less work for the others." I gave her another pat and went back to Edd.

Edd was already sitting up when I got back. "Was that an explosion?"

"Marie got five with two shots," I told him, handing over the tea.

"Thank you, Kevin," he said before taking a sip, "Five is most impressive." I nodded as I took a sip of my own tea. We stayed silent for a while, Edd sitting on the edge of the bed as I leaned against the wall. Finally, Edd asked, "What time is it?"

I ignored the touch of fear in his voice, "About four in the morning. We got another half hour before we need to leave. Ed's already gone and the Kankers are ready. We can go as soon as you're ready."

Edd nodded, "I should be ready soon. We'll need the sunlight to see, however."

"True," I said. "It's more dangerous when there's light, though."

He nodded again and took a few sips of his drink before saying, "It can't be avoided, though." He sighed, "Well," he said, draining the cup and standing up, "I better get ready."

He pulled off his pajamas, which were merely his cleanest clothes. He folded them carefully and placed them in the busted up dresser that we had found in the rubble of his house. "Now I kind of want to stay here all day," I said, eyeing his cute butt. He shot me a scowl.

"Kevin, you know I hate people watching me get dressed."

"I've seen you naked more than you've seen yourself naked, Edd," I said with a note of exasperation. "Hell, you take your hat off when we're alone. No need to be prudish."

"Yes, Kevin, that's true," he said, pulling on a sweatshirt and turning around, "It's still one of the few times I can get any amount of privacy."

I smirked and walked over to him, "Alright, fair enough." I pulled him into a kiss, then whispered into his ear, "But some part of you likes the attention," then ran my hand lightly up is hard member.

He shouted, "K-Kevin!" But by that time I was already slipping through the door, blowing a kiss at him. I love it when he blushes.

The Kankers had already gathered at the tunnel leading to the junkyard. Lee was lounging on a crate of canned goods as May and Marie loaded up on ammo and sharpened their knives. "Is your boyfriend up yet, Kevin?"

"He'll be another minute or two, I think." I walked toward the other two and grabbed a couple of pistols and a shotgun and filled my pockets with clips of .45 bullets and some buck shot and slugs. I paused for a moment before grabbing a grenade. You can never be too prepared.

Edd walked up as I was placing a knife in my boot. Marie handed him a .22 and a couple of clips as May and Lee grabbed some empty bags. Marie stated, "We're splitting up. We're going to the trailer park and construction site." Edd started to speak, but she cut him off, "We're more than a match for those bozos and you guys have Ed, who's more than enough for an entire platoon."

Lee nodded from her perch, "She's right. The real danger is sticking around for too long out in the open, especially when the sun's up." Edd opened up his mouth, then closed it and nodded. "Good. Let's move out!" She moved toward one of the storage rooms and pulled an empty crate away from the wall, revealing a tiny hole. We each squeezed through it and, after a few feet, we were able to stand up and walk without hunching our backs. This passage was sparsely lit. After a while, we came to a fork. The Kankers took the one on the right while we took the left. They paused to unplug the center passage's lights and plug in the right, and the pathway to the construction site was lit with a dim light.

Slowly, the passage ascended until we reached a hatch fashioned from a car door. I pulled the handle and pushed it open with my shoulder. The door was about as heavy as a linebacker, so I moved it as though it were one. The sun was just rising, allowing enough light to see what we were looking at, without leaving us at too much of a disadvantage. I held the door open as Edd got out, then closed the door as softly as I could.

We were standing beside the junked remains of Eddy's brother's car. It was barely discernible amongst the artfully placed junk that camouflaged it. I immediately pulled out my guns and scouted around as Edd moved behind me, looking for what he needed or what he might need and putting it in duffel. I came across a green can in the middle of one of the pathways. Ed had already scouted around and all was as safe as it could be. I relaxed slightly and started looking for scraps of metal and any bit of PVC I could find.

Before long, the sun had risen behind the clouds, and then the rain started falling once again. As Edd took inventory of what we had already collected, I heard a moose call. It took me a moment to remember what that meant. The Kankers had found what we needed. I expected as much, the pipe was plentiful at the construction site and a few plumbers lived in the trailer park. "We got everything, babe?" Edd nodded.

"Yes, I believe so." I nodded back and did my own moose call, which sounded awful, but May could recognize as an attempt. Then I let out two sharp whistles. A response came from behind me. I turned around and Ed climbing down from the largest junk pile.

"Nice," I said, "I didn't think you'd be there."

Ed landed gracefully in front of us, "This place gave me a view of the trailer park and construction site," he shrugged, "The Kankers are already inside. Saw a couple of men poking around the factory; they'll be coming this way." He walked off, his .50 caliber rifle slung over his back. We followed, me bringing up the rear with the bag of junk over my shoulder. Ed wrenched the heavy door open with ease and let us through before entering himself. He picked up length of metal and shoved it into the door, jamming it.

A while later, we got back to the main tunnels and I dropped the stuff in Edd's workshop, then with a quick kiss, left Edd to work. I followed Ed toward the largest room in the tunnels. It was the deepest we had dug. It's floor was limestone, so it was really the deepest we could go. In the corner that went under Rolf's old house was a pump connected to the aquifer below. Nearby was a hearth, whose smoke went through a fair amount of ductwork that let out somewhere far from here. I threw myself on to a beanbag chair and watched Ed sit down to read a comic he'd read countless times, while the Kankers each had a book in their hands. I drifted off to sleep, waking up occasionally as someone would come for water or leave to do whatever.

I woke up properly when Jimmy tossed some more wood on the fire. He put a pot over the flames, which soon began to bubble, sending little drops into the fire with a tiny sizzle.

"'sup Jimmy," I asked, rubbing my eyes."

"I'm making beef stew, Kevin!" I raised an eyebrow.

"There hasn't been a living cow within miles of us for six years, Jimmy."

"Well," he said, "It's actually a couple of raccoons."

I sighed, "It's better to know the truth," I told him. "Remember the mystery meat they served in the cafeteria at school?" He shuddered.

"Suddenly, raccoon seems like filet mignon." I smiled, got up and ruffled his hair.

"In these times, it might as well be, squirt." I turned to leave the room, and then stopped, "You need anything to make your 'beef stew'?"

He shook his head, "Sarah's getting it." I nodded and walked away.

I went to Edd's lab and knocked on the door. I opened it after getting no response and saw Edd wasn't in there. I walked up to the trench, grabbing my own rifle from a rack on the wall of the tunnel. I had watch tonight and a little overlap between shifts never hurt. Nazz and Lee were hanging out at the entrance, talking about some ship in a bottle. Lee nodded at me and Nazz gave a little wave.

"Mornin', sleepy head," she said with a dazzling smile, "I was going to come and get you in a few minutes."

"No need," I replied, stifling a yawn, "Jimmy woke me." I glanced along the trench, "Where's Double Dee?"

She pointed behind her, "South, supervising Rolf's use of his little whatamacallit." I nodded and gave my thanks before heading south.

As I rounded the corner, I immediately saw Rolf crouched down, feverishly turning a hand crank, "How's it going?"

Edd gave a small start, "Goodness, Kevin!" He took a moment to recompose himself, "I believe my augur is working quite well, especially with Rolf's familiarity with them."

"You're knowledge of tools is very good, Double D Edboy," Rolf said, still furiously turning the crank, "But, as my Great Nano said, 'A tool is only as good as the one wielding it'."

"How very true, Rolf," Edd said, pulling his hood on as the rain once again started falling. "I believe you are the best that could wield it," he tenderly placed a hand on Rolf's shoulder, "I'll leave the master to his work."

"Alas, Rolf is but the son of a shepard, not a wealthy augurer," he said with a sigh, then placed his own hand upon Edd's, "But, thank you, Edboy." Edd smiled and walked over to me, standing on tiptoes to plant a kiss on my lower lip and grabbing my hand before pulling me toward the East trench.

I looked down at his hand, so much smaller and more delicate than my own. I remember when he would freak out when his hand was covered in mud as it is now. He would abhor the unsanitary conditions we endured, the lack of clean clothes and a warm shower, the younger Edd would. But that wasn't the Edd that held my hand. If it weren't for the mud caked hat he wore, you wouldn't recognize him. He'd become tan, his hair had grown too long to hide beneath his hat, his body lean and toned. With a bath and a change of clothes, he could easily have been mistaken for a member of a track or swim team. We reached the East trench and Johnny, who was looking tired in every possible way.

"Oh boy, you guys are a sight for sore eyes!" He looked away from his scope, "I'm beat."

"I can see that, melon-head," I told him with a grin."

He let out a snort of laughter, "You guys will never let me live that down, will you?"

Edd giggled, "Not in the foreseeable future, Johnny!" Johnny sighed.

"Well, not much action to report," he said turning to me, "I haven't seen a single soul out there all day."

"Hmm…" I thought for a moment before asking, "Might be they're planning to attack soon?"

Johnny nodded grimly, "That's what Nazz and I thought. She'll be setting up shop here tonight as well." He gave each of us a brief hug and muttered, "Stay safe," before slumping off to his bed.

Edd pulled out his binoculars and scanned the field above, "Not a soul." As the sky grew darker, Nazz rounded the corner.

"Hey dudes. New moon tonight, you got your night vision stuff, Double Dee?"

"I'm afraid Lee is using them tonight. I'll me making due with the thermals." Nazz nodded.

"Well, Johnny told me what's up, so I'll take the left, you take the right?"

"Sure thing, Nazz," I said before we parted ways.

As darkness fell, Edd poked his head up again, "No heat signatures detected, Kevin."

I double checked through my own night vision scope, "Yeah, not a thing." I turned around, "It's pretty cold and quiet tonight. You got anything to help me stay awake and warm?"

"Kevin, your sexual appetite is insatiable," he said with a touch of irritation in his bemused voice.

I shrugged, "It's your fault for being so damned sexy." I embraced him and kissed him deeply for several seconds, possibly months. I pulled away and he was blushing.

"K-Kevin, is that a grenade in your pocket, or just happy to see me?" He let out a tiny giggle. I then realized something.

"I-it's a grenade."

Edd's eyes lit up in shock, "What on earth are you doing with an explosive device in your pants," he whispered.

I pulled it out, it's faded Cyrillic lettering seemed to shine even in the darkness, "I forgot about it," I mumbled.

"Good Heavens, Kevin, how could you forget a thing like that," he admonished, his voice shaking, "It's bad enough having to do it when we make an excursion, but when we're home?" His brows were knit together, "These grenades are older than we are, Kevin. They were made under very lax safety standards! These might as well be time bombs!" His breathing was ragged, as though he'd just run a marathon. He made a conscious effort to slow his breathing and then turned to scan the area once more. I took my own rifle and did the same.

"Sorry," I said in a near whisper."

He huffed, and didn't speak to me for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Another year passed. Compared to most, it was quiet. Eddy proclaimed loudly that he had scared them off, though most just relaxed a bit, a false sense of security washing over them. A few of us, namely Ed, Rolf, and I, refused to drop our guard for even a moment. We knew it was too good to be true.

And it was.

Winter came early that year. The blackened field around us turned blindingly white overnight. We bundled up in the warmest clothes we had whenever we went outside, layering just enough to keep hypothermia at bay without restricting movement. It'd been months since any of us had seen any soldiers. Slowly, animals returned, foraging amongst their charred surroundings for whatever meager morsels they could find. Rolf chanced a foray out in the open. His gamble paid off when he returned with a moose. Just for a moment, we all relaxed as we feasted on steaks.

The tunnels were now warmed by heaters placed throughout. The walls, thanks to Jimmy and Sarah, were warm and inviting shades of brown, the individual rooms painted with their occupants' favorite colors. Edd decided on a more neutral color: Khaki. While I would've gone with something a little more colorful, I had to admit it gave the room the feeling of a room in an actual house.

Eddy, in a surprising stroke of brilliance, gave us running water. He'd immersed himself in a book his uncle had given his brother years ago. Plumbing, it turns out, was something Eddy excelled at without much effort. In the absence of scams, he'd had little to occupy his free time, so it was generally agreed that this was even more useful to him than to us.

Edd hadn't spoken to me months, though occasionally I could hear him muttering under his breath about my "deplorable lack of concern for safety", or something like that. He probably used bigger words, but I got the gist of it. He'd modified his schedule, and by extension my own, so that we would have very little contact with each other, while he slept, I kept watch. While I slept, he'd do whatever. We'd sometimes cross paths as one of use came into the room to sleep. These were mostly silent meetings, with occasional whispered admonishment from Edd. If I attempted to speak he'd step back and stare at me as though I was the most reprehensible thing in existence.

I was sitting outside with Nazz. I'd dislocated my shoulder after the floor collapsed in a building we were raiding supplies from, so I was holding a pair of binoculars, searching for any signs of movement in the heavy snow. So far, I had spotted a squirrel and a shopping bag blown around by the light breeze. "So, like, are you and Double Dee still…?" Nazz was looking at me with concern, more concerned than I had ever seen her.

"Yeah," I croaked. I picked up my slowly freezing cup of weak coffee and drained it, "Yeah," I said sadly, "He's still not… well, you know." I got up and scanned the area again. "Nothing."

She placed her arm around me and pulled me into a hug. I winced as pain shot through my shoulder. I started crying into her shoulder. Not from the pain, but from the first emotional contact I'd had since Edd began regarding me with contempt. I've no idea how long I cried for, but Nazz sat there, holding me tight, whispering words of comfort. She wordlessly guided me away as Johnny and Ed came to relieve us. Minutes later, she and I lay down on a bed, my head still buried in her shoulder. She threw a beautiful blanket over us. I recognized it as the one that had lain across the back of her sofa, handmade by her grandmother. She had taken me to her room.

"Sarah isn't sleeping here tonight," she said, "She's…" She caught herself, but I felt a fresh stab of pain in my heart. Everyone else had someone to make them happy, to make life worth living. I lost it completely; I screamed into her thick coat and sweaters. She started horribly, but I barely noticed. I heard the sound of my anguish explode. The tears fell harder than ever.

Deep in the back of my head, a voice asked me, 'Have you no self-respect?' I answered with another scream. 'Have you no shame?' I sobbed harder than ever. 'You're a fucking leader, Kevin. Leaders are fucking strong, not fucking crying pussies!' My limbs went numb. "Nothing matters without him, Nazz."

She sighed and began to slowly rub my back, "I know Kev," I looked at her through blurred eyes, "I know." She planted a soft kiss on my forehead. She stayed quiet for a while until I had no more tears left to cry. The numbness I had felt was replaced by achiness and fatigue, as though I'd been at football practice for the last several days. I made to get up, but Nazz held my firmly in place, "No, Kev, you're sleeping with me." I had no energy to object. I doubt I could've even stood for more than a few seconds before collapsing. All I managed was a weak nod. She smiled and reached to turn off the light.

The darkness was welcome. My sore eyes closed, my eyelids felt like sandpaper against my eyeballs. "You got any water, Nazz?"

"Yeah Kev," the light clicked back on and she pulled a bottle from beside the bed, "I got more if you need it." I took the bottle and took several gulps. I felt a few more tears form in the corner of my eyes, but Nazz had already turned the light back off. I shifted slightly, my head resting just above her breasts. "Everything will be alright Kev. Double Dee is probably going through hell, just like you are, ya know?" I looked up, my hair brushing her chin.

"You think so," I asked shakily.

"You know it, dude."

"Hey guys! They're here!"

Johnny's voice woke me with a start. Nazz was already standing up, changing into clothes that had had time to air out. "Why do you bother wearing bras anymore, Nazz?" She giggled and turned around.

"Seriously, Kev? Could you imagine these," she grabbed each of her breasts in her hands, "Bouncing around if I need to run or something?" She put on a bra, "They'd probably knock me out or something." I laughed and Nazz smiled at me, "There's a smile, I knew you had one in you. C'mon, the militia is dropping some supplies off or something." She gave a little wave and went out the door. It took me a few minutes, but I got up and followed her to the construction site tunnel.

The sun had come out, the snow that blanketed the area was blinding, and the sunglasses I pulled from my pocket did little to help. When my eyes had adjusted, I saw them. A few dozen men and women, all armed to the teeth, clad in fatigues. Behind them stood a dozen more; kids by the look of them. The youngest was maybe ten, the oldest no more than fifteen or sixteen. A man I had never seen before stood at the forefront, conversing with a couple of his men. As I reached the front of our group to stand between Ed and Rolf, both of the men nodded and took five men from the group, going in separate directions. The man held out a scarred hand. Rolf took it.

"Gentlemen," he said in a gravelly voice as he took each of our hands in turn, "We've come to give you everything we can't take with us."

"What do you mean," Ed asked. The man smiled.

"We're going to the capital," he said. He turned his head, "Start unloading the trucks, men!"

"Without us?" His eyes locked onto me.

"Yes, without you, Mr…"

"Name's Kevin."

"Kevin, we can't take everyone at once and we don't know what we'll find when we get there. Besides," he gestured behind them, "The kids…" he sighed, "Here, we'll know they'll be safe."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rolf about to object. "We'll take care of them," I said. Rolf nodded silently after Ed had done the same.

"Excellent," he said as he looked over his shoulder, where the last crate was being unloaded from the truck. One of his militiamen gave a salute as the box was set down, "Good work, go and get the rest, Wilson." The man saluted again and began giving orders to those around him. They, along with a jeep full of men and women, drove off into the night. "Well, shall we help you get this stuff into your base?"

We spent about an hour moving things into the tunnels. A few of his men threw white tarps over their vehicles while the rest helped with the boxes of rations and other things that had been scavenged. The boxes slid easily down the sloping tunnel, but needed two or three people to lift them. Edd and Nazz guided the kids into the tunnels, discussing living arrangements and rules. I carried smaller items, usually bags of various items that hadn't made it into crates. I stopped and stared as one of the bags I picked up contained fresh strawberries, "Holy shit."

One of the women, Sharon, laughed, "It's been a while since you've seen fresh food, hasn't?"

"Yeah; I mean, we get some meat and stuff occasionally, but fruit?"

"We had a little garden," she said, "It kind of grew over the years."

With the crates all tucked away, everyone gathered in and around the large common room. Jimmy was cooking some stew using beef jerky and fresh vegetables. A couple of other cast iron pans sat over the fire, the unmistakable smell of cornbread wafting from them. "Oh boy," said the leader with a great sniff, "We haven't smelled anything like that in years!"

"Yeah," replied one of the older looking women, "Jameson, you should take some lessons from this kid!"

The man I assumed was Jameson, "If you guys cooked, we'd be dead from food poisoning!" The room roared with laughter. I smiled a little, and then found myself feeling uncomfortable. I slunk back out of the room and went to my own. I settled down on the bed, leaning my back against the wall.

More mouths to feed, more people to house, more lives to keep safe. What the hell was I thinking, agreeing to this? I mean, sure, they'd given us enough supplies to keep us fed, even with the new kids, for at least a year. We moved them into some spare rooms. They knew how to survive. Even the youngest of them could use a gun. But what if we had to retreat? Could we find enough food to keep us all alive? Could they keep up? Could we find another place that would house everyone? Find a place to keep them all safe? I doubted it, but what choices did we have? We couldn't let them fend for themselves.

I was awoken by Sarah coming it, a couple of bowls of stew, each with a chunk of cornbread sitting on top, "Hey, Kevin," she said as I rubbed my eyes, "Thought you might want something to eat something." A roar of laughter came through the door as she sat down, "It's too crowded for me as well." I took a bite of the cornbread, and then had another of spoonful of the stew.

"I know," I said as she opened her mouth to speak. "More people, more problems," I took some more stew into my mouth, "Our other problems become that much bigger."

"Are we doing the right thing? Taking them in, I mean?" I looked at her, her hair tied back into a ponytail, her eyes full of worry."

"Yeah, we are Sarah. It may not be the smartest thing to do," I drained the bowl of its broth, "But it's the right thing." She smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.

"You're right." She let me go and took my empty bowl, "The militia is taking watch tonight, by the way." She stood up and strode across the room, "And Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Just tell Double Dee you're sorry."

"But, he won't stay around long enough for me to…"

She smiled again, "I'm pretty sure he will." She left, softly closing the door.

I waited on the bed in the dark. I'd turned the light off figuring it'd give me that much more time to say what I needed to. Sometime later, the door opened just enough for Edd to slip in before it was closed again. "Edd, can we talk?" I heard him jump.

"Very well, Kevin," he sighed, "Since we will be sleeping together for the night, you may speak to me." He clicked on the light.

"I-it's been a while," his eyebrow arched up, "Since we've talked, I mean."

He looked at me coolly, "I spoke with you the other day, Kevin."

"You know what I mean, Edd…" I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, but willed them to wait, "We haven't actually talked when each other since… I fucked up." Edd's face softened just a bit. I think I'm the only one who'd looked at his face enough to notice the miniscule relaxation of muscles.

"I'm listening, Kevin."

"I fucked up, Edd. I forgot to double check that I had gotten rid of all the weapons on me," I felt the tears make another attempt to fall and once again paused to push them back. "I fucked up and I could've hurt Jimmy or Sarah or Eddy or anyone of our friends. I could've hurt you. I've lived for a year without you and it hurts even more than I had ever imagined it could."

The tears began to fall in earnest, "I could've felt worse than I've felt the past year. I would know I was the reason you weren't here anymore." Words failed me; nothing in my vocabulary seemed as though it fit with what my heart was trying to say. I cried, vaguely aware that between sobs I repeated myself. Finally, I managed to say, "I'm sorry, Double Dee."

I dimly registered another hand grasping mine, "I know, Kevin." I looked up and saw him standing over me, a gentle smile, barely touching his emerald eyes. "I must apologize as well," he said, sitting down beside me, "I know you never meant to do it. But I was angry because I could have lost you."

"What?" I looked into his eyes as they leaked tears of their own.

"I was infuriated because you could've died, Kevin." We stared at each other, tears falling. With a weak smile, he buried his head into my uninjured shoulder and I laid us down. Neither of us felt like turning off the light, but the power failed sometime later, prompting Edd to mutter, "It can wait until morning."

I opened my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought it had all been a dream. Then, Edd swooped down, his long hair of deepest brown falling on my face as he planted a kiss on my lips, "Good morning, Kevin." I pushed myself up and gave him another kiss.

"Mornin', babe." I sat up, looking at Edd as he undressed, changing into some warmer clothes. "Damn, I almost forgot how sexy you are." The flame in the lantern flickered as I stood, stripping down.

"I must admit, I seem to have forgotten as well," he said, the warm glow of the flame deepening his blush. I moved forward and pulled him into a hug, working a bruise into his neck with another kiss. His breath hitched slightly, his member hardening.

"A-ah, Kevin…" he moaned, "While the friction is ecstatic, I must tell you that we don't have time…"

I pulled away, frowning, "Why? What's up?"

He pulled his pants on, "I need to repair our electrical system," he gestured to the lantern, "And I should assess where the new children are academically."

"Okay, need any help," I asked as I pulled on my own pants.

"No, Rolf is already securing the area near the windmill and Mr. Blanc and some of his people will be joining me," I gave him a questioning look and he clarified, "Mr. Blanc is the militia leader, Kevin." He sighed, "While we may have never met him before, I would've assumed you'd remember the name."

I shrugged, "You know I suck with names, Edd," I zipped up my jacket and shoved my hat over my ears, "I do better with faces." Edd placed his own tattered hat upon his head. "We need to get you a new hat." He pulled it off his head and examined it.

He put a finger through one of the holes, "You're quite right Kevin," he tossed it into a corner, "May I borrow one of your hats?" I took my hat off my head and handed it to him.

"It's my warmest hat," I told him, "And you'll need it since you're going to be working outside." He smiled and put it on.

"I can't argue with that, Kevin," he stood on his tiptoes and kissed me again, "Thank you."

"Anything for you," I told him with yet another kiss. He responded with a blush. I put on a white hunting cap and smiled. Then I grabbed the crotch of his pants, just see him go even redder.

"You are incorrigible, Kevin," he shuddered, "A trait which I love about you." I blushed myself.

I saw Edd off to the tunnels, where Blanc and his men were milling around. With a quick kiss, I watched him go into the tunnel until he was swallowed by darkness. I struggled to get through the tunnels. I constantly bumped into people with my shoulder, despite my best efforts to avoid it. By the time I reached the trenches, I was about to scream, but contented myself with a few choice swear words.

Jimmy was sitting on a crate of explosives not too far away from the tunnels, his usual thermos of freshly brewed whatever, "Good morning Jimmy, what do we have today?"

Jimmy looked up from his battered copy of _Dune_, "We got the good stuff, Kevin!" He unscrewed the cap of the thermos and the smell hit me immediately.

"Coffee," I asked as I grabbed a cup. I took another sniff as I drank some, "Oh my God, actual coffee." I felt as though I could cry.

"Isn't it wonderful? Blanc said that they had a fair amount, but most of it was," he scrunched his nose, "Instant."

"Instant coffee is better than nothing," I mumbled between each sweet, sweet sip. I muttered thanks and headed back into the tunnels when a mess of blonde hair bumped into me. "Heya, May."

May gave me a goofy grin, which actually seemed to be her face's default setting, and said, "I was just looking for you!" She momentarily got distracted by the coffee and took a moment to get some before continuing, "While we're unloading the truck, you can help Eddy. He's down in Double Dee's workshop."

"Alright, I'll head down there." She skipped past me and headed into the trenches, Ed's rifle slung over her shoulder. I watched her for a few moments, finishing my own coffee before grabbing a second cup for Eddy and going off to find him.

He wasn't too hard to find, even without knowing that he was in Edd's workshop. Eddy was usually noisy, had been since we were kids. Of course, now the noise didn't come from some hare-brained scheme to get money. He often worked on stuff for Edd, things that didn't require too much technical knowledge. As soon as I walked in the room, he dropped his tools with a loud clang and walked toward me, "There you are, Shovel-chin."

"Good morning to you, too, Dork," I replied, grinning as widely as he was. We hadn't stopped calling each other those childish nicknames after all these years. We didn't mean them anymore, of course. It was all in good fun. I don't think we'll ever be the best of friends, but we get along well enough. "What're you up to?"

"Sockhead wants to make some more wind turbines," he gestured to the table where Edd had placed a schematic, significantly dumbed down for our convenience, obviously. "I need some help holding the metal still so I can cut it."

"Sounds easy enough," I told him. I sat down on the metal, "My ass should keep it from sliding around."

"Yeah," Eddy said as he grabbed a pair of shears, "Your fat ass should do the trick."

"Oh please, my ass is as perfect as it ever was." Another grin was shared before he began cutting the metal, more or less in a straight line. Towards the edge of the sheet, I got up and helped him hold the piece still until we were left with about an inch wide strip that would be useless for this project, but undoubtedly useful for something else. I placed the strip in a corner, alongside other such scraps of wood, metal, and plastic. As Eddy grabbed the strips he had cut, I looked around and caught sight of a makeshift calendar of Edd's. If it was correct (It belongs to Edd, so it was), I should've taken off my sling a week ago. I slipped it off and slowly moved my arm around, stretching it.

"Hey Kev, shouldn't you keep that sling on?"

"Because," I said, "I should've taken it off last week." I grabbed an old motor and started lifting it as though it were a weight, "God damn, this arm is weak."

"So? Just jack off," he said, setting down the metal next to a grinding wheel, "Or you can help me smooth this junk."

I raised an eyebrow, "Didn't Double Dee tell you to do this?"

"Or you can go looking for Sarah and some of the new kids," he said, adding, "They're winding copper wire for the generators." I had no desire to interact with Sarah, knowing she'd be irritable after winding a lot of copper into coils.

"Yeah, suddenly smoothing out the edges of metal sheets sounds like a great way to spend a morning."

Eddy grumbled, "Yeah, I thought so." He stalked out of the room and yelled from the hall, "I'll be back as soon as Sarah's done yelling at me for bothering her." Sure enough, not five minutes later, Sarah's anger exploded and could be heard echoing down the earthen passages. I smirked and returned to the grinding wheel to finish smoothing the edges of the first blade.

By the time I had finished half of them, Eddy, looking quite disgruntled, came back in, followed closely by Sarah, who were both carrying armfuls of copper coils. "I got the rest, Kevin," Eddy said, casting an unpleasant look over his shoulder at Sarah, "And take her with you." I nodded at him.

"C'mon Sarah, let's see if anyone else needs help," I said, placing a hand on her arm. She shot a burning look at the back of Eddy's head then walked out.

There wasn't much to do, so Sarah went off to do whatever it Sarah does, while I went to one of our storerooms to grab a book. I found one of Edd's books, _A Brief History of Time_, and then went outside. Jimmy was still immersed in his own book, so I helped myself to some more coffee before finding a spot of my own. I settled down on top of a frozen barrel of rainwater near Ed and May. They kept their public displays of affection to a minimum, at least when it came to guard duty and the like. I need quiet when I read, so this seemed like one of the best places.

It was late when Edd came back. He looked exhausted as I handed him his plate of food, which he took with thanks. "My word, that was exhausting," he said after swallowing his first bite, "The problem was much worse than I had imagined." He took a drink and continued on, "I had thought that the problem would simply be fixed by the application of lubricant. As it turns out," he took another drink, "The apparatus had been damaged."

"What damaged it," I asked. Edd leaned closer to me, glancing around for any eavesdroppers.

"I believe it may have been sabotage, Kevin." I was shocked.

"But, we haven't seen the enemy in ages, Edd," I told him, "They'd have to get by us to get to that." Edd shook his head.

"They could easily have passed by out of our sight." I lapsed into silent thought. A couple of minutes later, I got up.

"I'm going to go speak with Rolf and Ed. Blanc too, if I can find him." Edd nodded.

As luck would have it, I passed him as I was on my way to Rolf, having already asked Ed to meet me in Edd's workshop. He consented to come with, adding that he also had something to say. Finally, when we were all assembled, I told them. Blanc, predictably, already knew, but I was keen on getting any advice I could from him. After I had said my piece, everyone did as I had done: think.

Blanc spoke first, "I've given this matter some thought already, of course." He walked over to a wall where a map of Peach Creak was hung and studied it, "I think I should leave behind a couple of my men." He turned back around and looked slightly surprised that he had said this aloud, "I have some younger recruits that I don't think are ready for an offensive, should that be what we are heading into."

Once again, Rolf looked as though he might object, then he seemed to deflate slightly, "I welcome the extra manpower, for I can think of only one solution to defending the windmill."

Ed piped up, "We need to protect the generator as though it were a chicken." I felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward and saw Rolf's and Ed's do the same. Blanc merely looked as though Ed were mad.

"I agree, we need to set a guard over the generator. Two people, I think, per shift," I said. Rolf and Ed nodded.

"Excellent," said Blanc, "I'll leave the Alder sisters with you. Both great shots, of course, but terrified of the unknown. I'd give them a week to get used to the area before they start work, though." We all nodded, and he continued on. "I'd like to inform you all that we will be leaving the morning after the rest of my men return." I thought for a moment before I recalled that the day he and his people arrived, he had sent several of his men to collect more supplies and bring them back to us. I nodded. "Well, it is getting late; I must speak with my own people." And with that he left, shortly after followed by us.

I spent a little time with Edd before taking my turn at watch. I shouldered my rifle and chose my spot in the trenches. Within a few minutes, Johnny joined me, bringing with him some hot chocolate. He spoke a lot, but years of practice allowed me to tune it out, while managing to give vague responses at the right moments. The night once again passed without incident, though the horizon seemed brighter than it normally did, especially in the direction of the capital. I had Sarah, who couldn't sleep and had come up for some fresh air, go and rouse Blanc.

He looked grim as he surveyed the horizon as best he could. He checked an old watch on his wrist, "Just after midnight," he mumbled to himself. I looked Eastward again and frowned.

"It seems as though the capital hasn't yet fallen," I said. He nodded gravely.

"Some small comfort," he said, "Though we had not planned on attempting to slip past a siege. I must speak with my commanders." He turned and left, and the rest of the evening passed without incident.

For the next two days, Blanc and his men stayed locked in his room, leaving only for meals. On the third morning, which brought with it fresh snow and wind, the men sent to fetch the rest of the supplies returned. We made quick work of it and showed the new arrivals around the tunnels. That evening, Blanc finally remerged, looking exhausted but confident. "We've come up with a plan," he said through a mouth of pasta, "Though we'll likely have to alter it once we survey the situation." He took drink of alcohol, which few seemed brave enough to drink, and continued, "There is no doubt that we will have to break through a siege of some sort."

"How do you plan on getting through?"

He took a moment to chew a particularly large bite of food, "We're going to wear the enemy uniforms and try to sneak through the ranks." Someone nearby scoffed, causing both of us to jump.

"If I may, Mr. Blanc," Edd said, "Your plan is foolish, at best." Edd stood his ground as Blanc scowled, "You'll be in danger of getting killed by both sides. It's only a matter of time before the enemy notices you intend to join the other side, and our side will undoubtedly be suspicious of people wearing enemy uniforms."

Blanc stood up and got in Edd's face. I stood, about to pull them apart, when Edd stared at me in warning. I stood near enough to act quickly if need be, but made no attempt. They seemed unaware that everyone nearby stared at them intently; Blanc's own men stood ready as I did. Blanc drew himself to his fullest height and stared down at Edd, "And what, pray tell, would you have us do, boy?"

Edd's glare went icy. Those with a good view of his face looked fearful, for such was the power of Edd. But it was with calm voice that he spoke, "I would have you use the sewers or tunnels."

Blanc took a step back, "Idiocy," he mumbled, "They would've destroyed all entrances to the city."

"Perhaps," he said, "Or perhaps they have merely set guards upon them. I need hardly remind you that tight spaces are not at all desirable to invaders. Even still, assuming that they did waste supplies on destroying tunnels, some run deep and forgotten."

Blanc sat down again and sank into thought. Whispered conversation broke out amongst those nearby. Not a minute later, he stood up again, looking at Edd curiously, "The Old City?" Edd nodded, and Blanc sat down again to think.

"What's The Old City?" asked Sarah.

Nazz answered, "They're old tunnels that run beneath the capital. A lot of homeless people lived there. You could go on a tour, if you found the right people." Nazz took a moment to think, "The tunnels fan out a bit. I think there's an entrance in Applebeck."

One of Blanc's commanders spoke up, "Applebeck was abandoned long ago, hardly touched by the enemy!" Several of his comrades nodded in agreement.

"If the tunnels are intact," Blanc said suddenly, "Then it is by far the best path." He sighed and stood up once again, turning to Edd, "I apologize, Eddward."

"I must apologize as well, my words poorly chosen," Edd replied.

Blanc laughed, "No, your words were nothing more than truth, and I doubt I would've heeded kinder ones." He bid the room farewell and left, soon followed by his commanders.

Over the next hour, the crowded room thinned and soon, only Edd and I were left. I was reading my book as Edd lay with his head in my lap, a book of his own held up in the air. I marked my spot with my old ID card and put it aside. Edd was deeply absorbed in his book that I doubt he noticed. I decided not to bother him and laid my head against the back of the old dingy couch.

A few minutes or hours later, Edd woke me, smiling, "Come, Kevin, our bed awaits us!" I smiled groggily at him and nodded. He led me to our room, where upon seeing the bed, I fell down and fell asleep again almost instantly.

I woke early the next day. Edd had thrown a couple of blankets over us before snuggling close to me. Outside our room, many voices whispered hurried instructions. I carefully disentangled myself from Edd and made my way to the door. I opened it a crack.

All of Blanc's people were filling the halls, most looked as though had had just awoke, but others were in varying states of readiness, from those dressed in their fatigues to others armed to the teeth. "What's going on?" Edd asked sleepily.

"They're leaving," I said softly, closing the door. I heard Edd sit up quickly.

"We should see them off." I sighed, and then turned on the light.

"You're right." He grinned.

"I know I am." I don't know where he gets to energy to be a smart ass this early. A few minutes later, we were out the door and pushing our way through the throng. We woke up Rolf, who grumbled something in his native tongue (I never did figure out exactly what that language was), and agreed that he should go too. Ed was already up and we closed the distance between us, following in his wake.

We went out through one of the rear tunnels, where we finally found Blanc, issuing orders as he personally inspected each vehicle that would be part of his convoy. Rolf made it outside and said, "Shit, it's cold."

"You should've worn a coat, Rolf." He gave me a glare. Before he could say anything, Blanc called out.

"Good morning, boys!" He slammed down the hood of a truck and walked over to us. He gave a rushed order to one of the people passing by, and then looked at us again. "I didn't want to bother you so early."

Edd shook his head, "Nonsense, Mr. Blanc. It's no bother." I privately disagreed.

"Yeah," I said, "We ought to be here to see you off." He laughed.

"That's kind, but we both know it's too early," he said with a smile. "But, it's good you're here. Come with me," he put an arm around Ed and steered him to a snowdrift several yards away. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Rolf asked. Blanc's smile grew.

"Under here are three motorcycles." My jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" He nodded, "But, won't you need them?"

"I doubt they'll be much use where we're going. You kids, though," he said, "Can use them to gather supplies and whatnot." He sighed, "Don't know how long we'll take in the capital." I stammered.

"Kevin says 'Thank you', Mr. Blanc," Edd said with a pat on my shoulder. I nodded and Blanc burst with laughter.

"I'd knew you'd like them, son," he said, "You looked like you'd be a biker, in happier of times, of course." He sighed, "Hopefully, happier times are coming." He clapped me on the shoulder. I noticed that the most of his men had already gotten into their vehicles. A couple more people rushed past us and one of his lieutenants whispered something to him. Blanc nodded and he walked off. Slowly, each vehicle roared to life and began to drive off. "Well, we got a war to fight. Hopefully, we can all share a drink after all this is over. First round's on me, fellas." With that, he got into a jeep and rode off.

Several months passed. Occasionally, a few of Blanc's men would come and give us news. The capital had barricaded itself as best it could. The tunnels beneath it became the true city. Above ground, the buildings had been gutted by looters and fires from the bombings. In the first days, they'd demolished skyscrapers to create a wall around the city. The steel beams prevented enemy armor from finding its way over while the unstable debris proved difficult to traverse on foot. Still, planes continually bombed the city, aided by artillery on the ground. As time went on, the visits slowed, and then stopped. One day, we visited the tunnel entrance and saw that it had collapsed. By the time two years had passed, we took the vehicles and dismantled them, using their parts of Edd's contraptions, siphoning the gas to for our motorcycles.

Our network of tunnels grew. We had more people to house, more crap to store. In the absence of enemy soldiers, fewer people were on watch. We all figured this meant the capital was still there. Sometimes, on a dark night, we'd see light coming from that direction: Fires and explosions, too far away to hear, to hurt.

The tunnels now truly felt like a home. The walls were no longer metallic or earthen. We took sheets of concrete and put them up. We painted them, even hung a few pictures. We had a few art prints, mostly pictures of family. It was sad to look at. We knew they were dead. We looked at it so we remembered not to follow in their footsteps. Stay alive so they'd be remembered.

It was winter again. Over two feet of snow had fallen, and now it was being glazed by a layer of freezing rain. The sun hadn't been out in nearly two weeks. Most of the time it had been rain or sleet, but then it snowed for a couple of days. In a way, some of us were thankful for the war. In peace, we'd have to shovel the snow and slush out of our driveways and sidewalks. By Edd's reckoning, it was Christmas Eve. A couple of Blanc's kids had ventured out to find a small pine tree, which everyone had decorated with whatever they could: Paper chains, ornaments pulled from the rubble or handmade baubles that were clearly shined bits of junk.

The Alder sisters took a while to open up to us. They were around Jimmy and Sarah's age. Jenny, the eldest, was the brainy sort. She, along with Edd, were thrilled to find someone to have an intellectual conversation with. Emily was the mischievous sort. She spent most of her time with Eddy. At one point, she had her own reputation as a scammer extraordinaire. They spent time with others, of course. They both spent time with the cul-de-sac girls, exchanging wartime beauty tips or something like that. I have no clue what girls do.

It was a rather boring day. Edd and Jenny were teaching the younger kids. I decided to head outside early, to get set up for when I do my part as gym teacher. Rolf, Ed, and Nazz were hanging out when I stepped out. The three of them were chatting about something that I found boring. They each said "Hey" and went back to their conversation as soon as I responded. They were going to be keeping watch while the kids were outside, just in case. I didn't have too much to do, though. I opened a crate and took out a few dozen small fluorescent flags and started to walk around the area, sticking the flags into the snow to form a sort of track. The weather was too bad to do any sports or the like, but I figure fresh air is nice, even if it is cold and wet. I did several laps around the track myself, mostly to pass the time, though admittedly it did an excellent job of keeping me warm.

Midway through my fifth lap, Nazz called out, "Hey, Kev!" I jogged over and saw the kids were starting to file outside. Once Rolf, Ed, and Nazz had their rifles set up, I led them out of the trenches and explained everything. A few of them groaned, but they all started going around the track at their own speeds. Meanwhile, I took out a pair of binoculars and kept my own watch. Four pairs of eyes are better than three, after all. After about an hour, most of them had run the track a few times, so I called it a day. I went in search of Edd.

Predictably, he was in his workshop. At the request of several others, he was working on a better still. The old one was a mess, and the end product was something that tasted like a mixture of shoe polish and chalk. We used it mainly as antiseptic and cleaning, but sometimes people drank it out of desperation. He was brewing the first batch when I walked in, making small adjustments here and there. "'sup babe?"

Edd jumped slightly and turned to me, "Salutations Kevin." He took a rag and wiped his forehead, "I believe this may work," he said as he used the same rag to wipe off his hands. "Though, I think letting it age a while might make it somewhat more palatable." He sighed, "I think I would like to lie down for a while." I yawned and he smiled sleepily at me, "Seems like we both could use a nap." I nodded and let him lead the way.

Once upon a time, Edd wouldn't share a bed with anyone that smelled as bad as I did. But, as showers were in such short supply, he didn't smell any better. Still, he insisted upon using a wash basin before lying down. Something he forced me to do as well. Not that I minded, though. There's nothing worse than being unable to sleep because your sweat is getting into your eyes. Washing the rest was just a bonus. Half the time, one of us would start with some foreplay, a hazard of helping your lover reach his back. There was none of that today. I could barely muster the strength to rub the cloth on my face, and helping Edd with his back made the cloth feel as though it were solid lead. Edd fell asleep as I washed his back.

Smiling, I wringed the cloth and draped it over its holder, which was nothing more than a bent coat hanger, and undressed Edd. When he's completely exhausted, I doubt a nuclear blast would wake him. I lifted him up and gently placed him on the bed before stripping and settling down next to him. As soon as I pulled the blanket over us, I fell asleep too.

Edd woke me up somewhere around midnight. There were shouts coming from outside our room and Edd didn't stop shaking me until I mumbled, "What's going on?"

"Get up Kevin, something's wrong," he said standing over me. The room was lit softly by a few candles, instead of the usual light bulbs. Edd thrust a bundle of clothes into my chest. He sounded worried, "Please, hurry." I nodded and began pulling on the clothes as quickly as I could. I stood up and shoved my feet into my boots as Edd gave me my coat. Before I could zip it, I was pulled out the door into the dark hallways.

"What's wrong with the electricity?"

"Nothing, I turned it off." I silently wondered why, but soon Edd had guided me outside.

Nearly everyone was out there. The sky was clear, the moon hidden from sight. I followed the others eyes. After a few seconds, I saw the columns of fire rise from the direction of the capital. A few looked upward as one of the bombers turned around above us. We watched for an hour until one of the bombers flew low over us, engulfed in flames, chased by streaks of light. It crashed somewhere in Lemonbrook. More and more followed, crashing mostly in the surrounding towns. By sunrise, smoke rose heavily from the horizon, but the planes had all been downed.

Rolf and Marie scouted out the area. They came back just before sundown. "We saw some of Blanc's guys inside the city," Marie said. "The area outside is nothing but blackened husks of tanks and bits of soldiers here and there." They gave a full rundown of everything they saw. Nothing of real importance, though. We all agreed to be on guard, though. It would've been foolish to assume that none of the airmen on those planes survived. Sure enough, three were shot dead overnight.

All was quiet for a few more days. We kept the power off at night, so no light could escape from the tunnels. We didn't dare light a fire, in case they were using thermal imaging. It got cold pretty quickly, but we all had enough clothing to stay warm. It wasn't long before another bombing campaign was undertaken. Once again, planes crashed, but a few managed to make it away. It happened again and again and again. Then, there was nothing for months.

Summer was here. Trees, at least those that remained alive, were thick with deep green leaves. Here and there, shoots of grass poked through the scorched earth alongside maple and oak saplings. Most everyone was outside that evening. The kids were playing a game of soccer as the others looked on or kept lookout. Dusk came and finally the kids were worn out and went back inside. Jimmy and Sarah went with them to start on dinner. Edd had returned some power so we could use a few hotplates to heat up food. The rest of us stayed outside, enjoying the warm evening breeze. A few of the kids came back out to enjoy it as well. Just as the sun slipped behind the horizon, Jimmy came with a large pot of chili and everyone got some before settling back down and eating, carrying on various conversations. I stayed quiet as Edd spoke of how the various children were doing with their studies, answering noiselessly where needed as he rested his head in my lap. Suddenly, he went quiet. His jaw fell and he sat bolt upright. "Everyone inside," he shouted worriedly, then added, "NOW!" He turned to me again as the people began to head inside, looking confused. Ed and Rolf pushed their way toward us.

"What is wrong, Double Dee?"

"Yes, explain to Rolf."

Edd quickly said, "ICBM, get inside now." I looked up and barely saw it.

"Move faster," I yelled to those who were slowly making their way inside. Rolf, Ed, and Edd went in before me, each of them keeping their eyes on the object. It split into several smaller pieces.

"Oh dear," Edd whispered, "I think those are nuclear warheads." The line stopped moving as people started whispering, then screaming. I thought, for less than a moment. Without a second thought, I pushed Edd hard then closed the door to the tunnels, knowing that Edd had designed the door withstand a lot. With enormous effort, I pushed the door until I hear it scrape closed. From behind the door came Edd's muffled voice, "Face toward the door and keep your eyes closed, Kevin!"

Suddenly, it was as though I was standing on the surface of the sun. My eyes burned from the light that made it through my eyelids. Then the deafening roar that slammed into my back slammed me into the door. I fell, gasping for breath, and opened my eyes.

Dozens of pinpricks of light streaked across the sky. I clawed my way up the side of the trench to look toward the capitol. I saw only the mushroom cloud. Behind me, people started to file out again. Silence came with them, until the tears started falling. I finally got air back into my lungs, but I felt no tears. Most of us had no tears. I looked back up and saw more points of light streaking past, quite different from the spots I was seeing after the flash.

"We're launching our own nukes, aren't we?" Edd nodded. He spoke, but I didn't hear anything, "I can't hear you." He looked worried briefly; he put his hand on mine and smiled. He spoke slowly and I managed to read his lips.

"You'll be okay." He pointed at my arm, which was bright red, "You've been burned, and I must tend to it." I wasn't able to read everything he said, but that sounds like something he'd say.


	3. Chapter 3

It took a couple of weeks to get my hearing back. Edd had given everyone iodine tablets, though according to Rolf, the weather would blow the fallout away from us. We also decided, we meaning every single one of us, to move. It was a difficult decision, seeing as we had come to regard the tunnels as home. Most of us considered it the only home we've really had.

Rolf, Eddy, and Edd, along with a few others, went to Applebeck to get the trucks there back in working order. Rolf was the only one who brought a gun, in case anymore soldiers survived their plane crash. They came back with all of Blanc's trucks a couple of days later, and we packed everything we could into the trucks.

We drove southwest, not really knowing where to go. Each town we passed was little more than rubble, though occasionally we found something useful. Once we reached Fort Isaac, a small military base about a hundred miles away from Peach Creek, we ran out of gas. Fort Isaac was deserted; most likely the people here had all gone to defend the capital.

The place had an aura of neglect, you could almost feel it. The grass had grown wild and trees had started growing in the middle of the streets. Feral cats and dogs scattered as we drove up to the gate. I jumped off my motorcycle and walked through the barrier. Edd pulled off his helmet and followed. I went into the little guardhouse and tried flipping a switch, hoping the barrier would still retract, but toggling did nothing. "Do you have any ideas, Edd?"

"Numerous," Edd said as he examined the area. "We can try to provide power to the mechanism, but it would be easier to retract the pylons by directly accessing the hydraulic systems." I took a moment to translate what he said.

"So, just drain the hydraulic fluid?" He nodded, "How do we get to it?"

"I am… unsure." He thought for a moment, "We'll have to look." I got a few people from our little caravan and made four groups of three. Everyone else went on guard, just in case someone, soldier or marauder, came upon them.

We all went our separate ways, with Nazz in our group. Aside from some stray house cats, our path was devoid of any life. We had gone to a building some three-hundred yards from the gate. At some time, it was a storage shed. Inside, a few pieces of rusted landscaping equipment sat, covered in dust. We pushed aside the mower and found a hatch, which I managed to open using a crowbar. Edd pulled some matches and a few candles, lit them, and handed two over to Nazz and me. I went down the ladder first.

The passageway wasn't very wide, but it was around six feet tall. I bent over slightly so my forehead didn't scrape the ceiling and Edd and Nazz followed. A little way down the hall, it split. To the left was a storeroom. We found some ammo and MREs, along with some other equipment. We grabbed whatever was useful and moved on to another room. At some point, it was an armory, but now it was just empty gun racks and cobwebs. Edd found a couple of things he thought could be useful, though nothing I thought would be. We went back and walked through the last entryway. We walked for about 10 minutes, stopping to check out the odd room or two, before we found the hydraulic systems.

Edd walked around them, mumbling to himself. A couple of minutes later, he took out a knife and cut a hose: nothing happened. He swore (a rare occurrence), "The system has frozen," he sighed, "I'll need my tools and some extra manpower. We'll have to take this apart."

We went back to the trucks and waited for the others to return. Edd selected the strongest people we had, while others were chosen to find more tools further in the base. "With any luck, you will find an oxy-fuel torch or a thermal lance and we can just cut through it," he told me, "It will be," he lowered his voice, "fucking difficult otherwise." He blushed, as he often did when he did something that would've disappointed his parents. He slipped into deep thought momentarily, barely enough time for me to blink, and said, more to himself than me, "Thermite could work too."

"Is that something that people just leave laying around?"

"Not usually, no. But the military may have left some thermate grenades behind. Or," he pulled out a battered notebook and a worn down pencil, "You should be able to find the ingredients." He wrote down a few lines and tore the sheet from the binding, "I've included both the proper names and their more commonly known counterparts, just in case."

I looked at it, then shoved it into my pocket, then kissed him on the forehead, "Thanks, babe." He blushed.

"If you are unable to locate any of those items, then look for more tools. My wrenches only allow use to dismantle one cylinder at a time," he sighed, "And they were not meant to handle too much stress." I nodded and started to walk off, only for Edd to wrap his arms around me tightly, "Do be careful Kevin, we don't know who or what may be inside." I smiled.

"I know, Edd."

Soon, as the gate was blurred by a humid haze, we reached an intersection. Eddy took a group to the left road, Jimmy and Sarah lead another straight, and I took the right with my own group. My group consisted of only one other cul-de-sac kid, Jonny. While he may not have a lot of strength, there's nobody with keener vision, something more important than brawn. He walked ahead of us, his favorite shotgun bouncing against his back. He stopped abruptly, and put both arms out at a 45 degree angle. _Take cover_.

He took cover behind an old rusted car, while we went into a ditch behind some dead bushes. I listened and watched him do the same. Those of us who had rifles silently readied them, threading their barrels through the dry branches of the bushes, and waiting. Jonny's arm went straight out. _Contact left_. I looked into my scope and repositioned myself. Then I saw them: three soldiers.

Their uniforms were shredded and beyond dirty, but they were definitely the enemy's. They looked as though they'd been cutoff for some time. They were going into a gas station, most likely looking for supplies. I motioned for Max to come to me, "What?"

"I need you," I whispered, "To alert the others."

"No, I'm going to kill one of those bastards." I looked away from my scope and fixed my gaze on her.

"Maxine Francis Evans, you are going to fucking alert the others," as any kid would know, when your parental figure uses your full name, you went too far. I calmed myself down a little, "You are faster and harder to spot than anyone else here," I told her, "Go, we don't want anyone to accidently be seen by those guys." She nodded, and then took off at top speed before disappearing into an alley.

We waited as they took their time in the store. Jonny made his way over to us and grabbed someone else's rifle. He was the best shot here. As we watched them, we named them. Don't want to waste to bullets on one head. The one who appeared to be the leader we named Igor, due to his hunched back. The biggest of the others was Zangief, so named because Ryan was a huge fan of Street Fighter. The movie, that is. He never knew about the games. Last was the small guy, Jeff. Jonny insisted he looked like a Jeff. I chose Zangief as my target, Jonny took Jeff, and Amelia was left with Igor. The minutes dragged by. As soon as they were outside, we fired. Zangief's head exploded in a mist of blood. Jeff collapsed but was able to crawl behind cover, while Igor dropped down behind an abandoned car, unscathed.

He shouted some orders in whatever the hell language they spoke. I counted four different voices reply. "Fuck, they had their own guys hidden around here." Bullets started landing around us, causing a cloud of dust to rise around us. We ducked down, not daring to raise our heads, choosing instead to fire blindly in their general direction. Maxine darted toward us, crouched low in the ditch, Eddy hot on her heels.

Eddy, obviously disgruntled that he had to run into a hail of lead, told us that the others were circling around, setting up for a strike while they were focused on us. "Just keep shooting, Shovelchin," and with that, he started firing as well. Fifteen minutes later, we were running low on ammo, and twenty minutes later all we had were .223 and buckshot. Finally, in one resounding crack, all was quiet. We got up and looked out.

Several of the others were striding out from cover, one drenched in blood. Jeff had bled out behind an overturned vending machine, while Igor was still pissing himself behind the rusting Volvo that he hid behind. "Disgusting," said Eddy as he kicked him hard in the ribs, "Anders, tie this bag of shit up." He looked at me for confirmation.

"Yeah, we might be able to get some information or something from him," I said, taking a pair of handcuffs from one of my pockets and tossing them to Adam, "Assuming he can understand us. Eddy, you're in charge, I'll go with Adam. Here," I handed him the crumpled up list of stuff we needed, "Keep an eye out for that stuff," and with a dismissive wave, he stalked off.

After attempting to make Igor stand up on his own, we discovered that he so frightened that his legs simply couldn't support his weight, so Adam simply dragged him along behind us on the pavement. Once we reached the shed, I went down into the tunnels and Adam pushed Igor down. As I started dragging him, I realized just how fat this fuck was, as I started to pant and my muscles began to burn. Adam merely chuckled, "You getting tired old man?"

"Fuck you Adam, I'm only 7 years older than you," I grunted. He laughed again.

"You've been neglecting cardio," he said, taking hold of Igor's cuffs. I rolled my eyes. I often went for runs until I was tired. I simply started to get exhausted more quickly.

When we reached the hydraulics room, everyone's eyes narrowed at the sight of the prisoner. Rolf mumbled something I'm sure was offensive in his native tongue and Ed growled, which seemed to unnerve Igor a fair amount. I just left and went to one of the other rooms, which had a metal folding chair which seemed to have resisted the ravages of time. I took off my shirt and folded it before placing it on the seat and then sank into it as though it were a large, overstuffed recliner. Of course, it felt nothing like that, but compared to anything else I've sat in since leaving the cul-de-sac, it was damn near heavenly.

"Is all well Kevin?"

I jerked awake and saw Edd standing in the doorway, looking adorably timid. I extended a hand, and he came and sat on my lap, "I'm tired, Edd." I was shocked at how exhausted I sounded.

"Perhaps you should lie down, then," Edd suggested.

"No, it's not… not that kind of tired," I said. Edd frowned.

"It may simply be a cold or some other innocuous malady," he told me, "We did recently have an influenza outbreak among us, and you were one of the few who did not become ill. Either way, I must prescribe bed rest. Ed?" He called out the door.

"I am coming, Double Dee!" Within a few seconds, Ed's heavy footfalls preceded him into the room, "Yes, Double Dee?" Edd asked Ed to find a house that had little damage to it, particularly water damage to the bedrooms. It hadn't occurred to me that we might actually sleep in a real bed again, let alone in a real house. Soon, Ed was off, grabbing a couple of others to help him search.

Edd placed wrist on my forehead, "Oh dear, you do feel feverish… one moment," he said before rushing off. He came back a short time later with a damp cloth and placed it on my forehead. "You stay here until we find a place for you to rest." I just nodded and the cloth slid over my eyes.

I woke up in a warm, albeit somewhat musty, bed. The cloth had been moved back upward to my forehead and, judging by the early morning light flooding through the windows, been moistened again at least a few times. With enormous difficulty, I managed to sit on the edge of the bed. Every bit of me felt like lead and, if anything, I felt more tired. Then, I threw up on the blankets. "Oh God," I groaned.

"Good morning, Kevin," said Edd from the shadowy corner. I started to open my mouth, but quickly closed it before anything could come up. "Kevin, I don't think you have the flu." I raised an eyebrow, silently asking, '_Then what is it?_' I went to the library and looked at a copy of the International Statistical Classification of Disea- The ICD, and it… it…," he took a deep breath, "I believe you are suffering from the effects of Acute Radiation Sickness." I looked down at the bedding and was horrified. I looked back at Edd and he nodded sadly, "Every symptom you're experiencing is consistent with ARS," he sighed, "Fortunately, few people have died from it, and the base's hospital is well stocked according to the Kankers, so I believe I may be able to treat you." I just nodded, "I'm going to the hospital in the hopes of finding prophylactics and antiemetics."

He pulled the soiled blanket off of the bed and pushed me back down, "I took the opportunity to freshly launder some linens," he said as he took a folded blanket from the dresser, "Jimmy and Sarah will take care of you while I am away." He tossed the blanket over me and then readjusted my pillows, "I haven't told anyone," he whispered into my ear, "It is, I think, your right to tell whomever you wish." I looked into his watery, emerald eyes, as he moved in slowly to kiss me, "I love you, Kevin." I squeezed his hand in response and then drifted back to sleep.

I woke up several hours later as Sarah was removing the dried washcloth from my head, "Good afternoon, sleepyhead," she said, "Feeling any better?" Oddly enough, I was.

"Yeah," I told her. I sat up and, though I still felt physically exhausted, decided I wanted to go outside for a bit of fresh air. I slowly stood up and swayed on the spot, but managed to balance myself before Sarah noticed. "Where's the front door?"

"This way," she said with a wave of her hand. I followed her through what turned out to be an apartment. As we left, I looked at the elevator, wishing that I could use that instead of the stairs. I slowly made my way down six flights of stairs to a nice, albeit dusty, entry hall. A sign on the wall read: "Tecumseh Barracks". I stepped out into the warm sun, and was grateful for ramp down to an outdoor commons area, where most people were lounging about. I settled into a sturdy wood chair at an unoccupied table. Sarah chose to sit across from me. She took a battered paperback book from the back pocket of her jeans and started reading. I just stretched and enjoyed the sun.

Before long, I noticed Sarah wasn't reading. She wasn't turning the page and her eyes weren't on the book, but on me. Sarah was born with all of the intelligence her older brother lacked. She was one of the few who read Edd's textbooks. I knew that she knew what was wrong with me. I looked at her, "I don't know Sarah. Just…" I sighed, "Just don't worry about it, okay?"

"You expect me to not worry when…" she got up, "I won't bring it up, but I can't promise I won't worry. You're family, you know." She walked over to me, "Want me to grab you a book?" I asked her to grab me whatever caught her eye. A several minutes later, she handed me a copy of _The Bonfire of the Vanities_ and I started reading. A couple of hours later, Rolf began directing several others on the proper way to create torches and, as the sun fell beneath the horizon, the common area was bathed in a bright orange glow.

A couple hours later, the Ed, Edd, Eddy, and a few others got back, each one carrying as much as they could. Even Edd was carrying a large cardboard box laden with everything from stethoscopes to syringes. As they stepped into the warm light, they sat their boxes down, some with a dull thud, others with a rattle of glass. "Our excursion was most productive," Edd said, wiping sweat from his brow before sitting in a chair near mine. He looked around, making sure nobody was within earshot, "I believe we have found enough to start a treatment regimen for you. I must admit, however, I'm not sure how effective it will be, seeing as no studies have been performed on a majority of these," he gestured at a couple of boxes that were being emptied of labeled glass vials.

"Can't hurt, though, right?" He bit his lip.

"I don't believe anything will be harmful, however I am no pharmacologist. These pharmaceuticals are all past their labeled shelf-life, and could possibly be poisonous." He lapsed in thought, and I went back to my book. A while later, he spoke, "I would like to perform tests before I administer anything to you. I'll need rats or some other living creature."

I yawned, "Don't tell Shawn what you're doing with them." I closed my book and set it down, "You know how much he loves animals."

"I would think," Edd said, "That he understands the importance of our survival and that certain sacrifices must be made. Preferably, by creatures none of us have a deep, personal connection with."

"Or at least ones that can't speak English," I said, stifling another yawn. Suddenly, I remembered about, "Igor, what did you guys do with him?"

Edd briefly looked confused, then realized who I was talking about, "Oh! Yes, our prisoner. He's being kept in the police station a couple of blocks from here."

"Get any information out of him?"

"Honestly Kevin? Rolf is the only one who understands some of the language, and his knowledge is limited to that of a cheap travel dictionary. I highly doubt him asking, 'Where is the gas station,' will be of any use, even if he does answer it." He sighed, "We assume, however, that he is saying his name and rank, though. I assume his name is 'Kostandin Baris', while his rank is whatever the other word is."

"Umm, I'll stick with Igor." We laughed and talked for a while longer as a meal of venison and salad was prepared. After we'd had our fill, which wasn't much for me, the common area was packed and many of us were two to a chair. Edd fell asleep quickly, his face in the crook of my neck. I couldn't fall asleep, though. I felt only pain, and I soon passed out.

Fortunately, the first drugs that Edd cleared for use were the anti-nausea and pain meds. Soon, I was feeling reasonably well, considering I may have been dying. Every morning, I'd take an aprepitant pill and Edd would give me an injection of morphine. I'd get another shot every five hours or so and another pill every eight. At night, Edd would give me one last injection so I could sleep through the night. Eventually, I learned to live with the pain, and only needed the painkillers to sleep. It was a mind over matter kind of deal. The antibiotics, on the other hand, proved useless, though not really dangerous.

I started getting sick a lot. Whenever someone else got a cold, I'd get it too. They were barely noticeable, though. Edd said my weak symptoms were a sign of a compromised immune system. I took care of myself as best I could, though. We planted a large garden (or a small farm) and, on boyfriend's orders, I ate tons of bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries. Sometimes, I drank a vile smoothie that had everything from strawberries to kale. It's disgusting, but effective.

As the encroaching wilderness was beaten back and the neighborhood began to return to its former glory, we began to enjoy a more normal existence; a pre-war kind of normal. We assumed the war was over. I think Igor assumed so as well. He became more talkative as the months passed, though no less understandable. Sure, we hated him and he us, but he was always up to play chess or a card game. He won a proper apartment in a poker game, though he was even more carefully watched after that. We cleaned up more buildings and knocked down some walls so our tiny apartments became spacious suites. Life was better than it had been in ages.

Personally, though, life sucked. Edd believed I had bone cancer. There was indeed a growth on my upper arm, but Edd wasn't a surgeon. He managed to figure out how to administer a nerve block, so I didn't feel the pain as the tumor fucked with my nerves. Unfortunately, it couldn't do anything with the arm beyond make slight movements. Edd started giving me blood transfusions pretty regularly after the fatigue made a comeback and I started getting nosebleeds. I told him, "The tiredness isn't anything new, and the nosebleeds are probably just because you're getting sexier every day."

He chuckled, "I highly doubt that I am the cause of your symptoms, especially when one looks at your arm." He pulled up my sleeve, "You have developed purpura, which when combined with other symptoms, points to thrombocytopenia." I nodded as though I knew what that meant, though he knew me well enough to say, "You have a low platelet count." I didn't even pretend to understand, "The things that cause your blood to clot, Kevin. Honestly, did you even pay attention when I taught everyone Biology?"

"Yeah," I said, "But I mostly paid attention to you and not what you were saying."

"Kevin, you are incorrigible." He smiled at me, "One of the many things I love about you." I won't bore you with the details, but we totally had awesome sex.

Unfortunately, it was one of the last times we did. My condition began to deteriorate more and more. Before long, I couldn't even walk. Nazz, whenever Edd was busy, would help me get around in my wheelchair. We moved to a first floor apartment, since several flights of stairs are a pain in the ass to go down in a wheelchair. I started to bleed a lot. I won't lie, waking up and seeing your pillow covered in blood is fucking frightening. Edd managed to somewhat stop the spontaneous bleeding using prednisone, which he said increased my platelet production.

We spent a couple of years there. Occasionally, others stumbled upon our home, bringing stories from days and even months away. There had been other holdouts across the country, but they too were bombed into oblivion. A couple of others were nuked, though from the sound of it, nothing close to the size of the bomb that fell on the capital. Most succumbed to the heavy bombing campaigns that had preceded them. Eventually, we moved into proper houses. When that happened, people started getting pregnant.

Sarah was the first to give birth. She and Jimmy named him Arnold James, in honor of their fathers. May had a daughter soon after, Fay, then Marie's twins, Ellis and Sheena, and Lee's daughter Minnie. Jada, Gillian, Billy, Claire, Geoffrey, Susan, Neil, Spike, Rose, and David all followed. It became very noisy, but we all thought it was the best sound in the world; the sound of life.

One fall morning, Igor died. We all actually felt kind of bad for him. I don't think anyone really thought he was a bad guy. He did what he was told to do by a government that was far from benevolent. Later, what remained of the government was tried in The Hague for war crimes, and the news that soldier's families were threatened. Igor, old man that he was, probably had grandchildren that he was fighting for. We dug him a grave in a field, Rolf crafted a proper coffin and a hand carved wood grave marker that read:

Kostandin 'Igor' Baris

Enemy and Friend

Eventually, international forces came across our little town, which by then numbered nearly one hundred people. The first that came spoke French, a language many of us had varying levels of proficiency. Upon learning of me, they called in a British doctor to evaluate me and determine whether or not I was even safe to move. He was quite blunt.

"I am amazed you're even still alive," he told me after he'd checked out what he could. He decided that I had to be airlifted across the border to an actual hospital. The helicopter arrived near three in the morning, according to the doctor's watch. Edd was allowed to come with me and he did his best to keep me calm, though I could only think about what trained professionals would say when they performed their tests.

Long story short, they said I'm boned. Edd had managed to delay the inevitable, but death was just around the corner.

"And that's the last thing he wrote," said Edd before he closed the leather-bound journal. He looked down at its cover and ran his fingers over the embossed title:

Fighting for the Cul-de-sac

The Journal of Kevin Neil

Compiled by Eddward Ahlström

"He died three weeks after we got to the hospital," he reached behind him for another book and opened it. He thumbed through album, most of the pictures taken before the war. Finally, he found the one he had been looking for. He held it up for the camera and the documentarian, Emily, "This photograph was taken the day before he died." In it, Kevin was lying across Edd's lap as he sat against a tree. The two were smiling at one another, "We got married, that morning." He flipped to the next page where all of the kids from the cul-de-sac surrounded Edd and Kevin as they kissed, with Kevin being supported by Ed as he grinned stupidly at the pair. Edd stared at the photo fondly and played with the ring he wore on his neck.

"Thank you for sharing your story, Mr. Ahlström," said Emily, shaking Edd's hand.

Edd smiled, "It was a pleasure, Miss Stanton."

"The Cul-de-sac War Memorial will be opening on May 18th of next year to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the end of the war. This is Emily Stanton, for NQB."

After the crew had left, Edd reopened the book and stared at the untidy scrawl that was Kevin's handwriting. He read the entire book cover to cover, not the abridged version he had told Miss Stanton. _I wonder_, he thought, _What Kevin would have been had the war never happened._ His first thought was professional athlete. _No, as much as he loved it, he knew that it would have worried me._ He pondered a while longer. _Of course_, he thought as he looked at the book. _He would've been a documentarian._

"You were the only one of us who thought to make a record of our daily lives," Edd said to the book. "Or, perhaps, you would have been a historian." _I'll never know though. _Edd turned the last page and read the final words:

Eddward,

If you ever read this, then I'm either dead or you ran out of other books to read. I'm writing this the morning of your sixteenth birthday, as you sleep beside me. I'm writing this so, no matter what, you will always remember that I love you.

I will always love that gap in your teeth. I will always love the scar on your head. I will always love the complicated words you use. I will always love the steady rise and fall of your chest as you sleep and the way you whisper everything from passages from books to math formulas.

Kind of schmaltzy, I know, but I suck at romantic stuff. Still, it's all true.

I remember when your family moved in across the street. You were so small then, smaller than anyone else our age. I remember seeing your scared eyes scanning the neighborhood, nervously pulling your hat down to make sure that no one saw the cut on your head. I didn't care at the time, I had friends and toys and that was all I cared about then.

As we grew older, you got involved with Eddy, and I, like all the others, liked you little more than we did him. Still, you were kind, even when we were assholes. You treated everyone the same. When Eddy finally decided that his brother wasn't a role model, we became friends. We got older and I felt more and more for you.

I looked forward to high school, simply so I could ask you to Homecoming and Prom. I wanted to take you on a date in my own car. Our first date would have been to the movies, I think. No expectations of sex or even a kiss, just bonding over a terrible movie and a shared popcorn. When I got a job, I would have taken you to the capital to the Science Museum on a Saturday morning. There was so much I wanted to do.

Hopefully, I write this and you never have to read it. I hope we survive simply so I can take you on the dates I wanted you to have, that you deserve. But, there is the possibility that I won't be able to. The enemy marches closer and closer, and we may have to take up arms. The only certainty is that I will die if it means saving you.

I will never tell you I wrote this. When you wake up, I'll kiss you passionately and say "Happy Birthday". I'll hand you a water-damaged box with a newer set of encyclopedias, a dictionary, and a thesaurus, along with various college textbooks. I'll give you paper and pencils. That night I will surprise you with a fountain pen and bottles of ink that Rolf helped me make. Hopefully, you won't discover this today. Hopefully, I won't ruin your birthday.

But, if you do see this, I want to tell you Happy Birthday, Eddward Ahlström, Happy Birthday.

Yours,

Kevin Neil

Edd closed the book and placed it on a shelf. He sniffed, attempting to hold back the tears. _It was rather saccharine, Kevin,_ he thought to himself, _but it was true. Every word of it was from your heart, and that is all that matters._

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it as I attempted to combat the writer's block I encountered on "Beneath a Sorbet Sky". It helped keep me sane. I, admittedly, did not edit this, so I hope you'll forgive any errors that I may have made in grammar or continuity.<p> 


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